Reflections on Stroke
Having suffered a serious stroke 2 1/2 yrs ago, I thought I'd write this narrative in the hope of helping someone else avoid a similar situation.
Into my late 60's, I thought I was practically indestructible. I was walking long distances, hiking deserts, hills and mountains and bike riding, in short, involved in physical activities that people half my age were involved in. My first sign of trouble came in the summer of 2013. I was visiting Conway, Arkansas at the time and was still involved with long distance walking and bike riding.
One morning, I was preparing a cup of tea in my RV (I was full-time RVing at the time) when all of a sudden, I couldn't hold onto the cup in my left hand. When I was finally able to do so, I put it in the microwave to heat it up. Then, I just fumbled with the buttons,trying to remember which ones to push. By now, I realized something serious was going on. Suspicious of a stroke, I tried speaking out loud (actually praying), but found I couldn't pronounce many of the words properly. After a few minutes the situation passed and I was able to drive to the local hospital.
Upon arriving, I noted a very crowded emergency room. Since I was feeling back to normal I decided not to wait, but returned home instead (NOT recommended). In the evening I had second thoughts and decided to go back to the hospital the next day. This time I stayed and got checked out. It was found that I had atrial fibrillation (A-fib), which is a common cause of clot formation. This caused a mini-stroke (also known as a TIA), leading to my symptoms in the RV. I was put on a blood thinning medication (warfarin, which is used in rat poison) . and a heart rate medication (diltiazem).
I kept up with the prescribed dosage of warfarin for a while and was feeling pretty much back to normal when I decided to self medicate (also NOT recommended) since, being always health conscious, I didn't like the idea of taking rat poison. So I began using fish oil and baby aspirin in addition to a smaller dose of warfarin, using my own judgement as to dosage. I continued to do fairly well from this point on, until 2014.
Before returning back to my usual winter location in Yuma, AZ, I was visiting friends in Hendersonville, NC. By now, it was summer 2014. When I was in Conway the year before, a friend gave me a blood pressure machine, which also checks heart pulse rate. I found I had good blood pressure (still have to this day), but the heart pulse rate was very irregular, although I was still leading a pretty active life. Soon though, more serious symptoms started appearing. I noticed when hiking up a hill, I would get out of breath more easily, but I continued on, figuring that now I was close to 70 yrs old it was a normal sign of aging. A second symptom was even more worrying. I was in the habit of having a glass of wine (not a large amount, certainly less than 3/4 cup) with dinner. After dinner, I would often sit down and read or watch a little TV. However this time, when I stood up I was close to passing out and had to hold on to something to keep from falling. I attributed this to perhaps losing tolerance to alcohol, so I cut back further on the wine which, by the way, never affected me previously. Once again, I continued on with my normal lifestyle and for a while nothing else remarkable happened, although by this time I was more careful when getting up from a seated position.
Then, on July 20th, 2014, I had just returned to my RV. Still feeling normal, I went inside and decided to use the bathroom, located in my bedroom area. I was just reaching for the bathroom door when suddenly my left leg gave out and I fell to the floor ( fortunately, not physically injured). When I tried to get up, I discovered my left arm was also paralyzed, making it impossible to do so. I laid there for a while, probably less than an hour, all the time trying to get up. By now, I realized I was in an impossible situation and needed help. But I didn't have my cell phone close at hand. However, remembering the entrance door to the RV was wide open, I began yelling for help. One of the residents at the RV park heard me and got a hold of my neighbor. Together, they came over to check me out. They proceeded to call emergency services and the ambulance arrived a few minutes later. I was admitted to the hospital and after a short stay I began rehabilitation, and for the next two years needed to live in assisted living facilities at enormous cost.
I guess I should be thankful that, being right handed, only my left side was affected. I'm still undergoing rehab, this time at the local VA medical ctr, but even though wheelchair- bound most of the time, I can walk a short distance with a quad cane and an orthotic device on my lower left leg. I also drive OK, having had modifications done to the steering wheel and turn signal. I even dress myself with only my right hand although I need someone to tie my dress shoe laces when I'm in my suit. My casual footwear has special laces that need no tying So, in many ways, I count myself fortunate.
LESSONS LEARNED:
1. Even though your health seems great and you feel invulnerable, circumstances can change suddenly. "Unforeseen occurrences befall everyone." (Eccl 9:11).
2. Don't self-medicate, unless you have a good medical background. Follow the proper regimen instead.
3. don' brush off symptoms easily. They may be signalling a serious disorder.
4. I would also recommend, especially if you're living alone, that you wear a medical alert device in case you fall and can't get help (especially if you've had a stroke or heart attack), since the outcome may be reversed more easily with rapid medical care. To paraphrase a TV ad, "time lost is tissue lost".
5. Maintain a sizable nest egg (well into the 6 figures) if you can. Assisted living will cost thousands of $$ each month if you need it.
5. Above all, if tragedy strikes, maintain a positive outlook. That will go a long way in helping with recovery.
Into my late 60's, I thought I was practically indestructible. I was walking long distances, hiking deserts, hills and mountains and bike riding, in short, involved in physical activities that people half my age were involved in. My first sign of trouble came in the summer of 2013. I was visiting Conway, Arkansas at the time and was still involved with long distance walking and bike riding.
One morning, I was preparing a cup of tea in my RV (I was full-time RVing at the time) when all of a sudden, I couldn't hold onto the cup in my left hand. When I was finally able to do so, I put it in the microwave to heat it up. Then, I just fumbled with the buttons,trying to remember which ones to push. By now, I realized something serious was going on. Suspicious of a stroke, I tried speaking out loud (actually praying), but found I couldn't pronounce many of the words properly. After a few minutes the situation passed and I was able to drive to the local hospital.
Upon arriving, I noted a very crowded emergency room. Since I was feeling back to normal I decided not to wait, but returned home instead (NOT recommended). In the evening I had second thoughts and decided to go back to the hospital the next day. This time I stayed and got checked out. It was found that I had atrial fibrillation (A-fib), which is a common cause of clot formation. This caused a mini-stroke (also known as a TIA), leading to my symptoms in the RV. I was put on a blood thinning medication (warfarin, which is used in rat poison) . and a heart rate medication (diltiazem).
I kept up with the prescribed dosage of warfarin for a while and was feeling pretty much back to normal when I decided to self medicate (also NOT recommended) since, being always health conscious, I didn't like the idea of taking rat poison. So I began using fish oil and baby aspirin in addition to a smaller dose of warfarin, using my own judgement as to dosage. I continued to do fairly well from this point on, until 2014.
Before returning back to my usual winter location in Yuma, AZ, I was visiting friends in Hendersonville, NC. By now, it was summer 2014. When I was in Conway the year before, a friend gave me a blood pressure machine, which also checks heart pulse rate. I found I had good blood pressure (still have to this day), but the heart pulse rate was very irregular, although I was still leading a pretty active life. Soon though, more serious symptoms started appearing. I noticed when hiking up a hill, I would get out of breath more easily, but I continued on, figuring that now I was close to 70 yrs old it was a normal sign of aging. A second symptom was even more worrying. I was in the habit of having a glass of wine (not a large amount, certainly less than 3/4 cup) with dinner. After dinner, I would often sit down and read or watch a little TV. However this time, when I stood up I was close to passing out and had to hold on to something to keep from falling. I attributed this to perhaps losing tolerance to alcohol, so I cut back further on the wine which, by the way, never affected me previously. Once again, I continued on with my normal lifestyle and for a while nothing else remarkable happened, although by this time I was more careful when getting up from a seated position.
Then, on July 20th, 2014, I had just returned to my RV. Still feeling normal, I went inside and decided to use the bathroom, located in my bedroom area. I was just reaching for the bathroom door when suddenly my left leg gave out and I fell to the floor ( fortunately, not physically injured). When I tried to get up, I discovered my left arm was also paralyzed, making it impossible to do so. I laid there for a while, probably less than an hour, all the time trying to get up. By now, I realized I was in an impossible situation and needed help. But I didn't have my cell phone close at hand. However, remembering the entrance door to the RV was wide open, I began yelling for help. One of the residents at the RV park heard me and got a hold of my neighbor. Together, they came over to check me out. They proceeded to call emergency services and the ambulance arrived a few minutes later. I was admitted to the hospital and after a short stay I began rehabilitation, and for the next two years needed to live in assisted living facilities at enormous cost.
I guess I should be thankful that, being right handed, only my left side was affected. I'm still undergoing rehab, this time at the local VA medical ctr, but even though wheelchair- bound most of the time, I can walk a short distance with a quad cane and an orthotic device on my lower left leg. I also drive OK, having had modifications done to the steering wheel and turn signal. I even dress myself with only my right hand although I need someone to tie my dress shoe laces when I'm in my suit. My casual footwear has special laces that need no tying So, in many ways, I count myself fortunate.
LESSONS LEARNED:
1. Even though your health seems great and you feel invulnerable, circumstances can change suddenly. "Unforeseen occurrences befall everyone." (Eccl 9:11).
2. Don't self-medicate, unless you have a good medical background. Follow the proper regimen instead.
3. don' brush off symptoms easily. They may be signalling a serious disorder.
4. I would also recommend, especially if you're living alone, that you wear a medical alert device in case you fall and can't get help (especially if you've had a stroke or heart attack), since the outcome may be reversed more easily with rapid medical care. To paraphrase a TV ad, "time lost is tissue lost".
5. Maintain a sizable nest egg (well into the 6 figures) if you can. Assisted living will cost thousands of $$ each month if you need it.
5. Above all, if tragedy strikes, maintain a positive outlook. That will go a long way in helping with recovery.
